God's call to England, for thankfulness after gracious deliverances

Use 2.

Vse 2.

Is it the design of God in delivering, to reduce from sin, and oblige to Holiness? Let us then examine our selves, whether we have answered these holy designs of our gracious God. Oh Reader, faithfully ask thine own heart, Have I not been as loose and profane, as vile and vain, as carnal and formal as ever I was before? What inducement hath this gracious preservation been to the reformation of my Life? What Sin have I faithfully forsaken? what displeasing Lust have I unfeignedly left? what spiritual Obedience have I closed withal, since I enjoyed this ⟨p. 109⟩unspeakable Mercy? Doth not thy Conscience accuse thee of thy regardlessness of it? Doth not thy heart smite thee, for not observing the Duties thou art obliged to by it? Ahasuerus would know what was done to Mordecai, for the good deed he had done for the Kingdom. Ask thy self, What good hath been done to God for all the good deeds he hath done for thee? What hath been done to him for his delivering of thee? Hast thou not sinned the more against him, and turned his Grace into wantonness? Is that a meet requital for his kindness? Are Pride, Drunkenness, Sensuality, fit Votive Tables for our merciful escapes? Oh let not this Mercy be lost for want of improvement, lest you never enjoy such another. Remember, exoneratio supplicii est oneratio officii; the laying off and freeing thee from punishment, lays obligations upon thee for dutiful Obedience. Mercies are to be like showers on Valleys, making them fruitful; as a grain of corn sown in the tilled earth, bringing forth a plentiful crop of expected fruit. God hath sown the seeds of his Mercies, let not the Devil reap a crop of Sin. Oh how might I plead with you, as loving Jonathan with ⟨p. 110⟩